Novel memory mutants in Drosophila: Behavioral characteristics of the mutant nemy(P153)

BACKGROUND: Starting from Benzer's initiative, the approach of forward genetics has been widely used to isolate mutations affecting learning and memory. For this aim, mainly the odor-shock conditioning was employed. We have isolated P insertional mutations affecting memory after courtship conditioning – another form of classical conditioning in Drosophila. Here we report the behavioral characteristics of one of these mutants, which we have called nemy (no extended memory). RESULTS: The courtship activity of Drosophila males is reduced when a male has a previous experience of courting a fertilized female. In the wild-type strain C-S (K), this conditioned courtship inhibition lasts for 1–3 h in the test with a virgin female, and at least for 8 h in the test with a subsequent fertilized female. The mutant males nemy(P153) display distinct memory deficiency in both tests already 0.5 h after training. The mutant males show an increased level of locomotor activity unrelated to courtship, and spend more time in such an element of courtship as pursuit. This, however, seems to be a pleiotropic effect of the mutation, independent from its influence on the courtship conditioning. The mutation reduces also memory performance after the odor-shock classical conditioning. At the same time, the sensory and motor functions involved in this type of learning seem to be normal. CONCLUSIONS: Insertion of P-lacW vector into 49B region of the second chromosome (mutation nemy(P153)) causes an increased level of locomotor activity, memory deficiency after the courtship conditioning and subnormal acquisition after the odor-shock conditioning.